Horse-detacher.



Patented Feb. 20, |900.

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

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Nrrn'n STATES ATENT Fries.

HORSE-DETACHER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,694, dated February 20, 1900.

Application filed November 1, 1899. Serial No. 735,511. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, Ivnn STENsLAND, a citizen of the United States,residin gat Ellsworth, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Horse-Detacher, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in horse-detachers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of horse-detachers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and ef'iicient device capable of enabling a horse in the event of a runaway to be instantly and completely detached from a vehicle to prevent injury to the same or to the occupants thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which Willen* able a horse to be hitched to and unhitched from a vehicle, to facilitate harnessing and unharnessing, and in which the devicesrfor Securing the traces and the holdback-straps to the singletree and to the shafts may be operated independently of one another in hitching a horse to and unliitching it from a vehicle.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a horse-detacher constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a portion of a running-gear and to a horse. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of the singletree, illustrating the construction of the trace-engagingdevices. Fig. 3 is, an enlarged detail perspective view illustrating the construction and arrangement of the lever for simultaneously actuating the trace-engaging devices to release the traces. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the manner of releasing the holdback-straps. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the devices for engaging the holdback-straps, the casing being partially broken away to illustrate the arrangement of the spring and the bolt being partially withdrawn to show the perforated lug or ear more clearly. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the horse-detaeher applied to a pole.

of the singletree 2,which is pivotally mounted on the cross-bars 3 of a pair of shafts i in the usual manner, and the said casings are provided at their outer ends with L-shaped arms or extensions 5, forming trace-receiving openings'or recesses, across which extend springactuated bolts 6 for engaging traces 7 of a harness 8. Each casing 1 is provided with upper and lower portions 9 and 10, receiving, respectively, the singletree 2 and the bolt 6. The lower portion 10 of the casing is open at one end and closed at the other to form a socket, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings,and the other portion of the casing is provided in its end Walls with openings through which the bolt passes. The outer portion 11 of the bolt is enlarged to form a shoulderand to secure the necessary strength, and the inner portion of the bolt receives acoiled spring 12, housed within the upper portion of the casing and interposed between the inner end thereof and the shoulder formed by the enlarged outer portion 11 of the bolt. The rear ends of the traces are provided with suitable eyes or rings 13, which are engaged by the bolts 6, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and the said bolts are adapted to be retracted simultaneously to detach a horse instantly, and they are also capable of independent operation, so that the traces may be unfastened successively in unhitching a horse. This also enables the horse to be conveniently hitched to the singletree.

The inner portions 14 of the reciprocating bolt 6 are threaded and receive thumb-pieces 15, adapted to enable the bolts to be reciprocated independently by hand, and provided with threaded sleeves 16, arranged on the threaded portion of the bolt andadapted to engage the inner end of the casing to limit the outward movement of the said bolt. The combined stop and thumb-piece is arranged at the inner end of the threaded portion of the bolt, which is adapted to screw into a socket 17 of a connecting-rod 18, extending IOC) . back-strap.

from the bolt to a centrally-arranged operatin g-lever 19, preferably mounted on the pivotbol't 20 of the singletree. The connectingrods are guided in tubes 2l, mounted upon the upper face of the singletree at opposite sides of the center and adapted to guide the rods and at the same time protect themfrorn mud and other accumulation, and these tubes are provided with slots 21a to receive the thumb-pieces 15 of the bolts G. The lever 19, which is designed to be arranged in a suitable housing, is fulcrumed between its ends, and its arms are connected by links 22 with the inner ends of the rods, which are provided with longitudinal slots 23, receiving the pivots 24 of the outer ends of thelinks and adapted to permit the rods to have a limited longitudinal movement independent of each other and of the movement of the lever, whereby the bolts may be operated successively in hitching and unhitching. The rearwardlydisposed arm of the lever 19 is extended and provided with an eye or opening in which is secured an operating strap or connection 25, designed to extend to the dashboard of a vehicle in order to be within easy reach of the occupants, so that the traces may be instantly released in event of a runaway to prevent injury to the vehicle or the occn pants thereof; but it will be readily apparent that the operating strap or connection may extend to any other portion of the running-gear.

The holdback-straps 26 of the harness are provided at their front ends with eyes 27, which are engaged by reciprocating bolts 2S of catches 29, consisting of a suitable casing 30, mounted on a plate 3l, which is provided at its front end in advance of the casing with a perforated lug or ear 32, adapted to be engaged by the front end of the bolt 2S. The bolt is thrown forward by a spring 33, and its rear end is provided with an eye 34, to which is connected an automatically-operating releasing-strap 35, extending rearward from the bolt to aguide 36 and passing through the same, whereby when the rear portion of the releasing-strap is pulled upon the bolt will be drawn backward to release the hold- The rear portion of the releasing-strap 35 is provided with a loop 37 and extends to the holdback-strap at a point between the ends thereof. The holdback-strap passes loosely through the loop 37, and when the traces are released and a horse moves forward from the vehicle the rear portions of the holdback-straps are carried forward, whereby the said straps are doubled, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings, and caused to retract the bolts 28 and release their front ends, after which the holdback-straps slide through the loops of the releasing straps 35 and the horse is entirely disconnected from the vehicle.

In order to prevent the shafts from dropping to the ground when a horse has been released, a coiled spring 38 is employed, and it has its ends connected, respectively, with the shafts and with the body portion of the vchi# cle. (Not shown.) This coiled spring is adapted to yield to permit the upward and downward movement of the shafts incident to horse motion, and it may be detachably connected with the same, so that it may be relieved of strain when the vehicle is housed within a shed or stable.

The horse-detacher, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings, is applicable to two-horse vehicles having a pole or tongue 40 and provided with singletrees 41, mounted upon a doubletree 411" in the usual manner, and each of the singletrees isl provided with a spring-actuated bolt similar to that heretofore described, and the levers 19 are arranged to have their rear portions swung inward toward the pole or tongue to release the traces. This operation is eected by means of an operating-strap 43 or other flexible connection extending to the dashboard or other suitable part ot the vehicle in order to be within easy reach of the occupants and passing between a pair of guidepulleys 44 and provided with branches 45, secured at their outer ends to the levers 19. The guidepulleys 44 are mounted upon the tongue or pole in rear of the pivotal point of the doubletree, and the branches 45 extend from the said pulleys in opposite directions, and when the releasing strap or connection is drawn rearward the levers 19 will be simultaneously operated to release the traces, and as the neck-yoke center is designed to be loosely arranged on the front portion of the tongue or pole it will be apparent that the draft-animals will be entirely freed from the vehicle. The rear portion of the pole is provided with an eyebolt 4G, which is connected with the front end of a coiled spring 47, extending rearward from the pole or tongue and connected with the body of the vehicle or the adjacent portion of the running-gear, whereby the tongue or pole will be supported in an elevated position and will be prevented from dropping to the ground when the draftanimals are detached. The rear end of the coiled spring 47 may be secured to any portion of the running-gear, and it is preferably connected with the same at the top of the front elliptic spring, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings. The

llevers 19 are designed to be housed within suitable casings to protect them from mud, ice, and other accumulation; but these casin gs are omitted in order to illustrate the construction of the levers and the adjacent parts.

It will be seen that the horse-detacher is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable in operation, and that it is capable of releasing the traces and detaching the holdback-straps from the shafts instantly in event of a runaway, so that injury to a vehicle or its occupants may be prevented. It will also be apparent that by arranging the releasing-straps 35 as described they will operate automatic- IOO IIO

ally to free the holdback-straps from theshafts as soon as the traces are released by the operator. Furthermore, it Will be clear that the improvements are applicable to twohorse vehicles, and when the shafts or pole of a vehicle is disconnected from the draftanimals it Will be supported and will be prevented from dropping to the ground.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction Within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Vhat is claimed isl. In a device of the class described, the combination of a singletree, spring-actuated bolts mounted on the ends of the singletree and adapted to engage the traces of a harness, an operating-lever arranged at the center of the singletree, rods adjustably connected at their outer ends to the spring-actuated bolts and provided at their inner ends With longitudinal slots, and links connected With the operating-lever and With the slots of the rods, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a singletree, casings mounted thereon and adapted to receive the traces of a harness, spring-actuated bolts mounted on the casings and having threaded inner portions, the combined stops and thumb-pieces having sleeves engaging the threaded portions of the bolts and located at the inner ends of the casings tolimit the outward movement of the said bolts, and means for simultaneously reciprocating the bolts, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a singletree, casings mounted on the ends of the same, spring-actuated bolts guided in the casings and having threaded in'- ner ends, rods provided with sockets receiving the said threaded ends, guide-tubes mounted on the singletree and forming mud-guards for the rods, and an operating device arranged at the center of the singletree and connected with the ends of the rods, substantially as described.

4E. In a device ofthe class described, the combinat-ion with a catch designed to be mounted on a shaft or thill, a holdback-strap having an eye or loop to be engaged by the catch, and a releasing-strap connected with the catch and with the holdback-strap and adapted to be Operated by the latter when the traces are released, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shaft, of a catch mounted thereon, a guide located in rear of the shaft, a holdback-strap engaged by the catch, and a releasing strap or connection extending from the catch to the guide and passing through the same and connected With the holdbackstrap at a point between the ends thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a pair of shafts, of catches mounted thereon, guides located in rear of the catches, holdback-straps engaged by the latter, straps or connections extending from the catches through the guides and connected with the holdback-straps, and means for re leasing the traces, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

IVER STENSLAND.

Witnesses:

OLE O. Romarin, Jr., S. STENBERG. 

